Date Bars

5 from 102 votes

Date bars are made with a buttery oat crumb mixture and filled with naturally sweet dates and nuts; they're easy to make and so delicious!

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3 date bars stacked with a small piece of parchment between each one, remaining bars nearby.
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My Date Bars are So Good!

I’ve been on a bit of a date kick lately (okay, always – I love dates!), and these date bars are the latest in my kitchen experiments. You know how sometimes you just want a snack that feels nostalgic, like something your mom or grandma would make when you were a kid? That’s exactly what these date bars are for me. They remind me of the treats I grew up with—simple, homemade, and full of rich, comforting flavors.

These date bars are not too sweet and hold together well, so you can toss them in a bag and take them with you without them falling apart. Plus, have a long shelf life, too, so you can make them ahead of time, and they are perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast. And hey, if you love the pecan-date combo, you should make my date cookies next!

How to Make Date Bars

Make the date filling, mix together the crust, and assemble before baking. It’s quick, easy and just a few steps for a deliciously datey treat.

Make the Date Filling

Chopped dates in pot of hot water.
Step 1: Bring water to a boil and add the chopped dates.
After dates have reduced and thickened.
Step 2: Boil the mixture until the liquid has evaporated and the dates have turned into a thickened paste. Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent any sticking to the pot.
Pecans added with lemon juice being added.
Step 3: Remove the date mixture from the heat and add the chopped pecans and lemon juice.
Date pecan mixture after combining.
Step 4: Set aside and allow to cool.

Make the Crust

and whisk them together. Add some melted butter and use your fingertips to rub the butter with the dry ingredients. You want everything to become moist and clumps to form.

Dry ingredients in a bowl before combining.
Step 5: Now you’ll work with the dry ingredients to make the crust for the date bars. Just combine flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
After combined with melted butter added.
Step 6: Whisk the dry ingredients and add in the melted butter.
Hand combining dry and butter together between fingers.
Step 7: Use your fingertips to combine the flour mixture and butter.
Crust mixture after combined into pea sized clumps.
Step 8: You should end up with a pebbly texture with moist pea sized clumps.

Assemble and Bake

Half mixture pressed into prepared pan.
Step 9: Next, use your hands to take half of that buttery crust mixture and press it into a square pan (either 8×8 or 9×9 will work). Make sure there are no gaps and that you spread the mixture evenly on the pan.
Date paste being spread on top.
Step 10: Spread the cooled date mixture evenly on top of the base crust. It helps to use the back of a small spoon or a spatula to spread the mixture easily.
Remaining crumbs added and pressed on top.
Step 11: Finally, sprinkle what’s left of the oat mixture over the date mixture. Press down so it all sticks together well. And then you’re ready to bake these date bars.
After baking until golden brown.
Step 12: Although the color on top won’t change too much, the texture of the date bars will harden so you’ll know they’re done. The trick to getting these to remain intact and not crumble is to let them rest. I usually leave them overnight, but I recommend at least an hour.

My Best Date Bar Tips

  1. Make sure to use a larger piece of parchment paper than the baking pan. This will allow some of the paper to hang on the sides, making it easier to lift the date bars out of the pan and slice them neatly. And you won’t even get the pan dirty!
  2. Customize the date mixture with other add-ins you’d like. I love the combination of pecans with dates, but it works great with any other type of nuts, shredded coconuts, seeds or even chocolate chips. Just make sure to finely chop whatever you add in there.
  3. Be sure to press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan pretty firmly. This will help to make sure that the date bars stick together and don’t fall apart when you cut into them. When you add the second layer on top, you can use less pressure.
  4. Let them cool completely before cutting them. I would recommend at least one hour, but they set even more beautifully if you wait until the next day.
Date bars removed from pan on parchment paper and cut into 16 squares with a few squares pulled away, extra whole pitted dates around.

Recipe Help & Common Questions

What are the best dates to use in these bars?

You can use medjool or deglet noor dates for this recipe. I like to buy ones that are already pitted as this cuts down on the prep time quite considerably; it’s especially great when you have little kids who snack on dates! Dates add a natural sweetness to each bite and are a good source of fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients.

How long do date bars last?

Once the bars have cooled and you cut them, store them in a fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days. You don’t need to add any parchment paper in between as they won’t stick together. The bars also freeze really well, for up to 3 months, and you can thaw them at room temperature before serving.

How can I make the date bars vegan?

The only non-vegan ingredient in these date bars is the butter. I preferred it to using coconut oil for the best crumb texture and taste. However, you can easily make these vegan by trying it with coconut oil, although I think vegan butter would work better.

Closer shot on one date bar with a bite taken out.

More Bars Recipes:

If you try this Date Bars recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!

This date bar recipe was original published December 17, 2019 and has recently been updated with new photography and step-by-step images to help make the recipe.

Date Bars

Date bars are made with a buttery oat crumb mixture and filled with naturally sweet dates and nuts; they're easy to make and so delicious!
5 from 102 votes
Servings 16 bars
Course Dessert, Snack
Calories 210
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Rest Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours
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Video

Ingredients
  

Filling

  • cups chopped pitted Medjool dates
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup pecans finely chopped

Base

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 × 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving about 2 inches of extra parchment over both sides.
  • In a small saucepan, bring 1¼ cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add the dates and boil, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the dates have melted and thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat; stir in the lemon juice and pecans. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the flour, oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Pour the melted butter on top. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour mixture until you have a pebbly texture with moist pea-size clumps.
  • Press half of the flour mixture evenly and firmly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread the date mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle the remaining flour mixture over the date mixture; press gently to help the crumbs adhere.
  • Bake until the top and edges are golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and cool completely. Cut into 16 bars and serve.

Notes

Storage: Store the remaining date bars in an airtight container. They will last up to 7 days in the fridge or in the freezer for 3 months.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • To make them vegan, you can use melted coconut oil or vegan butter (which is what I would recommend)
  • To make them refined sugar free, substitute the 2/3 cup brown sugar for ¼ cup maple syrup.
  • Instead of pecans, you can use any other finely chopped nuts or other add-ins of your choice.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar, Calories: 210kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 111mg, Potassium: 155mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 208IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 25mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Dessert, Snack
5 from 102 votes (90 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Joyce says:

    These bars have become a staple in my house. They are so delicious! I make them once a week, but I do a little different version of yours. I used oat flour first but yesterday I made them with semolina instead. I use very little coconut sugar (dates are sweet enough) and instead of butter I put coconut oil. Sometimes before I layer the top crust I sprinkle some unsweetened coconut flakes. Such a healthy guilt free snack or breakfast!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yay, I’m so happy you enjoy them!! And I love the tweaks you’ve made. Thank you so much for sharing, Joyce!

  2. Mayra says:

    Do you think dried figs would work instead of dates?

    1. Yumna says:

      I think dried figs would not hold the bars together as well as sticky dates.

  3. Jim A says:

    I can’t tell you how long I’ve been looking for a good date bet recipe. These are delicious! These will be making a regular appearance in our house.

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yay! So happy to hear you liked them Jim!

  4. Heidi says:

    I’m thinking of adding some mini, dark chocolate chips. How do you recommend I incorporate them? And do I need to adjust the recipe ingredients? Thank you! I can’t wait to try these and your other recipes. I just signed up on your site.

    Best,
    Heidi

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Love that idea! You could add it to the filling mixture, and you shouldn’t need to adjust the other recipe ingredients.

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